Myelopathy is an injury to the spinal cord due to severe compression that may result from trauma, congenital stenosis, degenerative disease or disc herniation. Some major causes of myelopathy are inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, viral infections, intervertebral disc herniation, tumors, spondylosis, or trauma.

The symptoms of myelopathy is dependent on which section of the spinal cord is affected. Symptoms may include numbness of the hands, arm weakness, hand weakness, leg stiffness, loss of balance, and urinary urgency.

The appearance of symptoms and their progression also differ from person to person. The rate of progression of an individual’s myelopathy symptoms may alter over time, with periods of relatively rapid change interspersed with periods of stability or minimal progression.

The key to the treatment of some types of myelopathy is to remove the pressure from the affected region of the spinal cord. Burak Ozgur, MD will discuss your prognosis and discuss whether or not surgery may be necessary.

For more information on myelopathy or to schedule an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at (949) 383-4190 or toll free 888-64-SPINE.